How do I know I'm gay?

Sexual orientation isn't something that most people understand overnight. However, some people say "I knew I was gay in first grade when I had a crush on my same gender friend!" Often, people take a long time to fully understand what their sexual identity is.

A lot of different factors can make coming out as gay a stressful situation. IYG believes that no matter what anyone tells you, that identifying as gay was something that was predetermined for you. In the words of Lady Gaga…"you were born this way!"

You are not alone. There are so many youth (and adults too) out there who are questioning their sexual orientation. Some people say that they thought they were bisexual and then realized they were gay. Some people identify as bisexual even though they know deep down they are gay. Some people identify as gay and then end up dating an opposite gender person. Some people stay in the closet their whole life. Does this make them straight, bisexual, or questioning? Everyone has an opinion…it's up to you to remember that questioning your sexuality is very much normal.

Being gay means that you are romantically, emotionally, and/or sexually attracted to people who are the same gender as you. The word gay can be used for men or women but many women prefer the term lesbian. Homosexual is a word that many hear often as well. Some people feel that this term is derogatory and choose not to use it because homosexuality was considered a mental illness until the early 1970's when the diagnosis was taken out of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

If you don't know who to tell about your sexual orientation, we are here for you! Contact us.

You can find additional info about coming out as gay from these resources: